KALAMAZOO, MI -- When
Cassidy Strome started Kalamazoo Central High School, she fretted about being
labeled a "band geek."

"I
was afraid the other kids would make fun of me," said Strome, now a K-Central
senior.

But
when classmates learned she was part of the Kalamazoo Central Marching Giants, she
said, their reaction was more one of respect and encouragement.

With
125 members this year, marching band is K-Central's biggest student group --
and also one of its most successful and enthusiastic.

"A
few years ago, I had a parent say, 'When I came here, football was big. Now
it's band that's the big deal," said Carrie Rouse, band president and
mother of two former band members.

The
K-Central band is noteworthy for several respects, beginning with the fact that
it is the oldest public high school band in Michigan, formed in 1906.

These
days, the band stands out as one from a few inner-city high school that
participates -- and does well -- in marching band competition, which are often dominated by schools
from upscale suburban communities.

The
band's success in recent years is largely credited to Dan Stout, the band's
director since 2002.

"He's taken the band to a different level," said Leisa Ritzer, a former band parent who is the assistant band director. "What I really like about him that he really wants this to be a good memory for kids, for them to say, 'Oh, that was one of the best things about high school.' "

"He
really cares," said Logan Hughey, a K-Central senior. "He really wants to see
us succeed."

Stout
also is willing to cast his net far and wide in recruiting students. Students
who might have trouble fitting in elsewhere are more than welcome in marching
band. Several years ago, for instance, one of the K-Central's star percussion
players was s student who was developmentally disabled.

"We
take anyone and everyone," Strome said. "For people who don't fit into a
lot places, this is the place to go."

As a
result, Rouse said, the band "easily, easily" is the K-Central group
that best represents a cross-section of the school's broad racial and economic
diversity.

"We
have upper-class people and low-income kids, but everybody is the same in
band," said Norma Hazard, a senior. "It gets people out of their bubble."

Where
K-Central band is like any other is the tight-knit bond between its members.

Hazard
said her favorite moment occurred last October when the band was participating
in two competitions in suburban Grand
Rapids – one in the afternoon and one in the evening. It was an intense day and
"everybody was pumped up on Monster drinks, and we were all nervous" about
losing energy for the evening performance, Hazard said.

But
that night, the band gave their best performance of the season.

"We got
a standing ovation," Hazard recalled, "and afterwards, Stout was bawling his
eyes out and everybody was crying and hugging."

That
shared sense of accomplishment is why
"band is No. 1" in her eyes, Hazard said.

"It's
such a family atmosphere," she said. "Every summer, when band camp starts,
everybody is so happy. It's like seeing our family again."

Julie Mack covers K-12 education and writes a column for MLive/Kalamazoo Gazette. Email her at jmack1@mlive.com, call her at 269-350-0277 or follow her on Twitterat kzjuliemack.